Defend the Defenders | April 5, 2020
On April 4, Defend the Defenders (DTD) issued a press release calling on Vietnam’s communist regime to free all prisoners of conscience to protect them from being infected with deadly Coronavirus as the disease breaks out across the country.
According to the Vietnamese human rights group, prisoners of conscience are one of the most vulnerable groups to Coronavirus infection as the severe prison conditions have weakened their immune system. According to DTD’s latest statistics, Vietnam’s communist regime is holding at least 240 prisoners of conscience in severe conditions: being held in large numbers in small unhygienic cells without sunlight and windows, low-quality food, lack of proper medical services, many of them have been placed in solitary cells or beaten by prison guards or inmates for protesting inhumane treatment.
DTD said releasing prisoners of conscience and allowing them to return with their families will help them avoid being infected with Coronavirus better than being held in the crowded detention facilities, and the government will reduce expenditures spending on maintaining detention facilities. It requests Vietnam’s authorities to improve living conditions in detention facilities to raise their health to help them better withstand diseases, especially the deadly COVID-19 while still keeping them in custody.
Prisoners of conscience are not dangerous to Vietnam’s society in all circumstances and times, DTD said, urging all organizations and all individuals to voice and request Vietnam’s communist regime to release all prisoners of conscience.
In order to silence independent voices asking for information transparency and the right for being informed amid increasing threat of COVID-19, Vietnam’s communist regime has set a plan to imprison a certain number of citizens, including independent bloggers and Facebookers. The state-controlled media has reported that the Supreme People’s Procuracy is requesting its agencies in provinces and districts to cooperate with local authorities to “select” some cases to prosecute. The main target of the crackdown will be those who are considered disseminating “fake news” or “unverified news” about the Coronavirus outbreak and the government’s response which are harmful for the regime. In recent weeks, hundreds of Facebookers have been fined with administrative fines of between VND7.5 million ($320) and VND15 million for disseminating information about the pandemics, and some of them may face criminal accusation with lengthy imprisonment if are convicted.
Female human rights activist Dinh Thi Phuong Thao has accused Vietnam’s regime of providing untrue information to the UN Special Rapporteurs regarding harassment against her. Vietnam’s Diplomatic Delegation to the UN in Geneva, in its official letter to the UN, said she had been accused of “causing public disorders,” having activities in relations with Viet Tan party and her passport has not been confiscated. However, Ms. Thao said Vietnam’s security forces took her passport upon her return in Vietnam after four years of international advocacy abroad and they still keep her passport.
Mrs. Thao said Hanoi should revoke its report because providing untrue information to international agencies is not a good act and will affect the country’s image.
On April 3, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on Vietnam’s communist regime to free Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, one of the prominent religious activists imprisoned in Vietnam right now. According to its representative Ms. Anurima Bhargava, Mr. Truyen should be allowed to return home while COVID-19 is spreading across Vietnam. She emphasized that his health has been worsened after being arrested in late July 2017. She also said the trial against him was unfair in which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
On March 30, police in Ha Tinh province arrested two members of Falun Gong while they were on their way to donating thousands of face masks for local residents. The act was part of Vietnam’s systemic crackdown on Falun Gong practitioners in recent years nationwide.
While many countries worldwide have been releasing prisoners in a bid to reduce COVID-19 infection, Vietnam’s communist regime is carrying out detentions to arrest political dissidents and activists. The latest victim was Ms. Le Thi Loan, a land petitioner from Hoanh village, Dong Tam commune, where land dispute led to the brutal attack of Vietnam’s police on January 9 in which police barbarically killed local leader Le Dinh Kinh. Ms. Loan was not in the village during the police raid and had been hidden to avoid being arrested but was detained on April 5 shortly after returning to her house. So far, 27 land petitioners in Dong Tam have been detained by Hanoi police, 22 of them were charged with murder as Vietnam’s regime accused them of causing the deaths of three police officers during the raid, and the remaining were charged with “causing public disorders” or “resisting on-duty state officials” with lengthy imprisonment if are convicted.
===== March 30 =====
Two Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested while Making Face Mask Donation
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Vietnam’s central province of Ha Tinh have detained two Falun Gong practitioners while they were on their way to make a donation of face masks in a bid to help local residents deal with COVID-19.
According to Vietnam’s state-controlled media, on the afternoon of March 30, police in Ha Tinh city arrested Mr. Pham Xuan Q. when he was driving his car with 600 medical masks and 596 documents about Falun Gong practice.
Mr. Q, who is a resident of Nguyen Du ward in the same city, said he was on his way to make a donation of the masks to the local citizens. He said he got the masks and the documents from Ms. Pham Thi H living in the same ward.
Police also arrested Ms. H and conducted a search of her house, confiscating a large volume of Falun Gong practice manuals and 5,000 medical face masks. She said she got them from other practitioners in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ha Tinh province’s authorities said they will conduct further investigation and prosecute the two residents.
Vietnam’s communist regime has persecuted many Falun Gong practitioners nationwide in recent years without legal ground.
====== 02/4 =====
Female Resident in An Giang Accused of Subversion in Relation with US-based Exile Group
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have arrested Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong, accusing her of subversion in the relation of the US-based exile government of Dao Minh Quan which vows to use all means to work against the communist regime.
Phuong was arrested on April 2 and charged with subversion under Article 109 of the Penal Code. She will be held incommunicado for at least four months for investigation and face lengthy imprisonment for up to 20 years in jail.
Media reported that police conducted searching her house in Long Xuyen city and confiscated the old flag of the US-backed South Vietnam and other documents related to the exiled government of Dao Minh Quan. She is accused of recruiting others for his organization which is treated as a terrorist group by Hanoi.
In recent years, dozens of Vietnamese citizens have been arrested and convicted in relation to the Vietnamese Provisional Government of Dao Minh Quan, a Vietnamese American who self-declared as its prime minister.
===== 03/4 =====
USCIRF Urges Vietnam to Free Religious Activist Nguyen Bac Truyen
Defend the Defenders: On April 3, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on Vietnam’s regime to release Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, one of many prominent religious freedom activists being imprisoned in Vietnam.
USCIRF’s Representative Anurima Bhargava said Mr. Truyen should be allowed to return home, especially COVID-19 is spreading across Vietnam while his health has worsened significantly since being arrested on July 30, 2017.
She recalled that the trial against him in 2018 was unfair in which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Mr. Truyen was arrested and charged with subversion for his activities which aimed to accelerate the establishment of the Brotherhood for Democracy. He left the unsanctioned organization several years before being arrested.
——————–
Female Activist Dinh Thao Accuses Vietnam of Providing Untrue Information to UN
Defend the Defenders: Female human rights activist Dinh Thi Phuong Thao (aka Dinh Thao) has issued a statement accusing Vietnam’s communist regime of providing untrue information in its reply to four UN Special Rapporteurs regarding her interrogation and confiscation of her passport.
In its reply to the UN human rights mechanism, the Vietnamese Diplomatic Delegation to the UN in Geneva said she had been accused of “causing public disorders,” having activities in relations with Viet Tan party and her passport has not been confiscated.
However, Ms. Thao said this information is not true and Vietnam’s security forces took her passport upon her return in Vietnam after four years of international advocacy abroad and they still keep her passport.
Mrs. Thao said Hanoi should revoke its report because providing untrue information to international agencies is not a good act and will affect the country’s image.
===== 04/4 =====
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam Should Release All Prisoners of Conscience amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Defend the Defenders, Press release
Hanoi, April 4, 2020
For immediate release
Coronavirus or COVID-19 is spreading across Vietnam and most of the countries in the world, forcing the whole humanity to put all efforts to deal with the deadly disease.
In Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Health, there have been more than 200 infected cases found in many localities, and the number of infected cases may surge if the local government fails to apply proper measures or all citizens to strictly obey the regulations set by the authorities.
One of the vulnerable groups to Coronavirus infection is people being held in the prison camps and temporary detention facilities across the nation, especially prisoners of conscience. According to Defend the Defenders’ latest statistics, Vietnam’s communist regime is holding at least 240 prisoners of conscience in severe conditions: being held in large numbers in small unhygienic cells without sunlight and windows, low-quality food, lack of proper medical services, many of them have been placed in solitary cells or beaten by prison guards or inmates for protesting inhumane treatment.
Being held in such conditions, prisoners of conscience are susceptible to Coronavirus because they cannot keep “social distance” while their health is weak to withstand serious diseases. Defend the Defenders has learned that in recent months, families of prisoners of conscience have not been permitted to send additional food and money to them so their health fully depends on inadequate food provided by the detention facilities.
In her statement on March 25, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet calls on the governments of all countries to release prisoners, especially prisoners of conscience/ political prisoners in efforts to deal with Coronavirus. According to her, imprisonment should be the final measures in dealing with the deadly virus.
In such circumstances, Defend the Defenders urges Vietnam’s communist regime to free all prisoners of conscience, especially elderly and sick ones. Releasing them and allowing them to return with their families will help them avoid being infected with Coronavirus better than being held in the crowded detention facilities, and the government will reduce expenditures spending on maintaining detention facilities. While still holding them, Vietnam’s authorities must improve living conditions in detention facilities to raise their health to help them better withstand diseases, especially deadly COVID-19.
Prisoners of conscience are imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views, and those who have been imprisoned and/or persecuted for the non-violent expression of their conscientiously held beliefs. They are not dangerous to Vietnam’s society in all circumstances and times.
Defend the Defenders calls on all organizations and all individuals to voice and request Vietnam’s communist regime to release all prisoners of conscience. You should disseminate our statement and post it in your pages on social networks.
End of the press release
Defend the Defenders
Email: vietnamhumanrightsdefenders@gmail.com
Website: vietnamhumanrightsdefenders.net
===== 05/4 =====
One More Dong Tam Land Petitioner Arrested, Charge Unclear
On March 5, police in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi detained land petitioner Le Thi Loan from Hoanh village, Dong Tam commune in relation with the land dispute which started in April 2017 and resulted in the brutal attack of thousands of Vietnamese policemen in the village on January 9 this year.
Ms. Loan was arrested immediately after returning to her house. She had been in hiding after the bloody police raid in which police killed elderly leader Le Dinh Kinh and arrested dozens of his relatives and villagers. It is worth noting that she was not been in the village during the police attack.
The accusation against her was not informed.
Loan is among active land petitioners opposing the Hanoi’s plan to illegally grabbing the 59-hectare Dong Senh on which Hoanh villagers have been cultivating for centuries. Hanoi’s authorities are willing to take the land to give it to Viettel, a giant military firm to build commercial projects.
So far, Vietnam has arrested 27 land petitioners from Hoanh village, accusing 22 of them of murdering three police officers who were reportedly killed during the attack on January 9. Other remaining were charged with “causing public disorders” or “resisting on-duty state officials.”
======================
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April 6, 2020
Vietnam Human Rights Defenders’ Weekly Report for March 30-April 5, 2020: DTD Calls on Vietnam to Free All Prisoners of Conscience to Prevent COVID-19 Spread
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights], DEFENDER’S WEEKLY
Defend the Defenders | April 5, 2020
On April 4, Defend the Defenders (DTD) issued a press release calling on Vietnam’s communist regime to free all prisoners of conscience to protect them from being infected with deadly Coronavirus as the disease breaks out across the country.
According to the Vietnamese human rights group, prisoners of conscience are one of the most vulnerable groups to Coronavirus infection as the severe prison conditions have weakened their immune system. According to DTD’s latest statistics, Vietnam’s communist regime is holding at least 240 prisoners of conscience in severe conditions: being held in large numbers in small unhygienic cells without sunlight and windows, low-quality food, lack of proper medical services, many of them have been placed in solitary cells or beaten by prison guards or inmates for protesting inhumane treatment.
DTD said releasing prisoners of conscience and allowing them to return with their families will help them avoid being infected with Coronavirus better than being held in the crowded detention facilities, and the government will reduce expenditures spending on maintaining detention facilities. It requests Vietnam’s authorities to improve living conditions in detention facilities to raise their health to help them better withstand diseases, especially the deadly COVID-19 while still keeping them in custody.
Prisoners of conscience are not dangerous to Vietnam’s society in all circumstances and times, DTD said, urging all organizations and all individuals to voice and request Vietnam’s communist regime to release all prisoners of conscience.
In order to silence independent voices asking for information transparency and the right for being informed amid increasing threat of COVID-19, Vietnam’s communist regime has set a plan to imprison a certain number of citizens, including independent bloggers and Facebookers. The state-controlled media has reported that the Supreme People’s Procuracy is requesting its agencies in provinces and districts to cooperate with local authorities to “select” some cases to prosecute. The main target of the crackdown will be those who are considered disseminating “fake news” or “unverified news” about the Coronavirus outbreak and the government’s response which are harmful for the regime. In recent weeks, hundreds of Facebookers have been fined with administrative fines of between VND7.5 million ($320) and VND15 million for disseminating information about the pandemics, and some of them may face criminal accusation with lengthy imprisonment if are convicted.
Female human rights activist Dinh Thi Phuong Thao has accused Vietnam’s regime of providing untrue information to the UN Special Rapporteurs regarding harassment against her. Vietnam’s Diplomatic Delegation to the UN in Geneva, in its official letter to the UN, said she had been accused of “causing public disorders,” having activities in relations with Viet Tan party and her passport has not been confiscated. However, Ms. Thao said Vietnam’s security forces took her passport upon her return in Vietnam after four years of international advocacy abroad and they still keep her passport.
Mrs. Thao said Hanoi should revoke its report because providing untrue information to international agencies is not a good act and will affect the country’s image.
On April 3, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on Vietnam’s communist regime to free Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, one of the prominent religious activists imprisoned in Vietnam right now. According to its representative Ms. Anurima Bhargava, Mr. Truyen should be allowed to return home while COVID-19 is spreading across Vietnam. She emphasized that his health has been worsened after being arrested in late July 2017. She also said the trial against him was unfair in which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
On March 30, police in Ha Tinh province arrested two members of Falun Gong while they were on their way to donating thousands of face masks for local residents. The act was part of Vietnam’s systemic crackdown on Falun Gong practitioners in recent years nationwide.
While many countries worldwide have been releasing prisoners in a bid to reduce COVID-19 infection, Vietnam’s communist regime is carrying out detentions to arrest political dissidents and activists. The latest victim was Ms. Le Thi Loan, a land petitioner from Hoanh village, Dong Tam commune, where land dispute led to the brutal attack of Vietnam’s police on January 9 in which police barbarically killed local leader Le Dinh Kinh. Ms. Loan was not in the village during the police raid and had been hidden to avoid being arrested but was detained on April 5 shortly after returning to her house. So far, 27 land petitioners in Dong Tam have been detained by Hanoi police, 22 of them were charged with murder as Vietnam’s regime accused them of causing the deaths of three police officers during the raid, and the remaining were charged with “causing public disorders” or “resisting on-duty state officials” with lengthy imprisonment if are convicted.
===== March 30 =====
Two Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested while Making Face Mask Donation
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Vietnam’s central province of Ha Tinh have detained two Falun Gong practitioners while they were on their way to make a donation of face masks in a bid to help local residents deal with COVID-19.
According to Vietnam’s state-controlled media, on the afternoon of March 30, police in Ha Tinh city arrested Mr. Pham Xuan Q. when he was driving his car with 600 medical masks and 596 documents about Falun Gong practice.
Mr. Q, who is a resident of Nguyen Du ward in the same city, said he was on his way to make a donation of the masks to the local citizens. He said he got the masks and the documents from Ms. Pham Thi H living in the same ward.
Police also arrested Ms. H and conducted a search of her house, confiscating a large volume of Falun Gong practice manuals and 5,000 medical face masks. She said she got them from other practitioners in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ha Tinh province’s authorities said they will conduct further investigation and prosecute the two residents.
Vietnam’s communist regime has persecuted many Falun Gong practitioners nationwide in recent years without legal ground.
====== 02/4 =====
Female Resident in An Giang Accused of Subversion in Relation with US-based Exile Group
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have arrested Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong, accusing her of subversion in the relation of the US-based exile government of Dao Minh Quan which vows to use all means to work against the communist regime.
Phuong was arrested on April 2 and charged with subversion under Article 109 of the Penal Code. She will be held incommunicado for at least four months for investigation and face lengthy imprisonment for up to 20 years in jail.
Media reported that police conducted searching her house in Long Xuyen city and confiscated the old flag of the US-backed South Vietnam and other documents related to the exiled government of Dao Minh Quan. She is accused of recruiting others for his organization which is treated as a terrorist group by Hanoi.
In recent years, dozens of Vietnamese citizens have been arrested and convicted in relation to the Vietnamese Provisional Government of Dao Minh Quan, a Vietnamese American who self-declared as its prime minister.
===== 03/4 =====
USCIRF Urges Vietnam to Free Religious Activist Nguyen Bac Truyen
Defend the Defenders: On April 3, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on Vietnam’s regime to release Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, one of many prominent religious freedom activists being imprisoned in Vietnam.
USCIRF’s Representative Anurima Bhargava said Mr. Truyen should be allowed to return home, especially COVID-19 is spreading across Vietnam while his health has worsened significantly since being arrested on July 30, 2017.
She recalled that the trial against him in 2018 was unfair in which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Mr. Truyen was arrested and charged with subversion for his activities which aimed to accelerate the establishment of the Brotherhood for Democracy. He left the unsanctioned organization several years before being arrested.
——————–
Female Activist Dinh Thao Accuses Vietnam of Providing Untrue Information to UN
Defend the Defenders: Female human rights activist Dinh Thi Phuong Thao (aka Dinh Thao) has issued a statement accusing Vietnam’s communist regime of providing untrue information in its reply to four UN Special Rapporteurs regarding her interrogation and confiscation of her passport.
In its reply to the UN human rights mechanism, the Vietnamese Diplomatic Delegation to the UN in Geneva said she had been accused of “causing public disorders,” having activities in relations with Viet Tan party and her passport has not been confiscated.
However, Ms. Thao said this information is not true and Vietnam’s security forces took her passport upon her return in Vietnam after four years of international advocacy abroad and they still keep her passport.
Mrs. Thao said Hanoi should revoke its report because providing untrue information to international agencies is not a good act and will affect the country’s image.
===== 04/4 =====
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam Should Release All Prisoners of Conscience amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Defend the Defenders, Press release
Hanoi, April 4, 2020
For immediate release
Coronavirus or COVID-19 is spreading across Vietnam and most of the countries in the world, forcing the whole humanity to put all efforts to deal with the deadly disease.
In Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Health, there have been more than 200 infected cases found in many localities, and the number of infected cases may surge if the local government fails to apply proper measures or all citizens to strictly obey the regulations set by the authorities.
One of the vulnerable groups to Coronavirus infection is people being held in the prison camps and temporary detention facilities across the nation, especially prisoners of conscience. According to Defend the Defenders’ latest statistics, Vietnam’s communist regime is holding at least 240 prisoners of conscience in severe conditions: being held in large numbers in small unhygienic cells without sunlight and windows, low-quality food, lack of proper medical services, many of them have been placed in solitary cells or beaten by prison guards or inmates for protesting inhumane treatment.
Being held in such conditions, prisoners of conscience are susceptible to Coronavirus because they cannot keep “social distance” while their health is weak to withstand serious diseases. Defend the Defenders has learned that in recent months, families of prisoners of conscience have not been permitted to send additional food and money to them so their health fully depends on inadequate food provided by the detention facilities.
In her statement on March 25, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet calls on the governments of all countries to release prisoners, especially prisoners of conscience/ political prisoners in efforts to deal with Coronavirus. According to her, imprisonment should be the final measures in dealing with the deadly virus.
In such circumstances, Defend the Defenders urges Vietnam’s communist regime to free all prisoners of conscience, especially elderly and sick ones. Releasing them and allowing them to return with their families will help them avoid being infected with Coronavirus better than being held in the crowded detention facilities, and the government will reduce expenditures spending on maintaining detention facilities. While still holding them, Vietnam’s authorities must improve living conditions in detention facilities to raise their health to help them better withstand diseases, especially deadly COVID-19.
Prisoners of conscience are imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views, and those who have been imprisoned and/or persecuted for the non-violent expression of their conscientiously held beliefs. They are not dangerous to Vietnam’s society in all circumstances and times.
Defend the Defenders calls on all organizations and all individuals to voice and request Vietnam’s communist regime to release all prisoners of conscience. You should disseminate our statement and post it in your pages on social networks.
End of the press release
Defend the Defenders
Email: vietnamhumanrightsdefenders@gmail.com
Website: vietnamhumanrightsdefenders.net
===== 05/4 =====
One More Dong Tam Land Petitioner Arrested, Charge Unclear
On March 5, police in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi detained land petitioner Le Thi Loan from Hoanh village, Dong Tam commune in relation with the land dispute which started in April 2017 and resulted in the brutal attack of thousands of Vietnamese policemen in the village on January 9 this year.
Ms. Loan was arrested immediately after returning to her house. She had been in hiding after the bloody police raid in which police killed elderly leader Le Dinh Kinh and arrested dozens of his relatives and villagers. It is worth noting that she was not been in the village during the police attack.
The accusation against her was not informed.
Loan is among active land petitioners opposing the Hanoi’s plan to illegally grabbing the 59-hectare Dong Senh on which Hoanh villagers have been cultivating for centuries. Hanoi’s authorities are willing to take the land to give it to Viettel, a giant military firm to build commercial projects.
So far, Vietnam has arrested 27 land petitioners from Hoanh village, accusing 22 of them of murdering three police officers who were reportedly killed during the attack on January 9. Other remaining were charged with “causing public disorders” or “resisting on-duty state officials.”
======================